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Destroyer
"Destroyer" is the series finale of . As Darkseid comes to claim vengeance on Superman by destroying Earth, the Justice League has no choice but to ally with Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom to battle the might of Apokolips. Plot Lex Luthor and the surviving members of the Legion of Doom arrive at the Metro Tower, warning them of Darkseid's impending invasion (a small flashback explains that when Darkseid destroyed their headquarters, Sinestro and Star Sapphire managed to shield them with their Power Ring and gem, respectively), and they then stole a Mother Box from a rescue party headed by Lightray. After delivering their message, the League announce that they're locking up the Legion. As several prepare to fight back, an emergency message arrives: Boom tubes open, and the Apokoliptan fleet appears, and soon releases Parademons and ground troops. The Legion insists that they be allowed to fight alongside the League; they may be criminals, but Earth is their world too. Batman agrees, saying that the League needs all the help they can get. Superman and Wonder Woman reluctant to go along, but Luthor announces that he isn't saving Earth: as far as he's concerned, both the Justice League and the Legion of Doom are little more than tools to help him achieve revenge on Darkseid for taking Brainiac away. Superman reluctantly goes along, but Wonder Woman orders that the villains fight in mixed teams. Mr. Terrific, handling central command from the Watchtower, sends out an "Omega-level alert" to the entire League: a series of cut-scenes shows various Leaguers preparing for battle and being teleported away. Superman, Batman, and Luthor confront Darkseid at his command ship, hovering over the Daily Planet building in Metropolis. Darkseid tells Superman that he intends to make Superman suffer by watching his adopted world die, before killing him, adding with a smirk Superman's last words to him before their last standoff: "Let's go." As the battle progresses, the Apokoliptan forces set up huge drilling machines designed to dig holes straight through to the Earth's core, creating fire pits that will make Earth another Apokolips. Mr. Terrific orders them taken out at all costs. The Leaguers destroy several, though Shayera is badly wounded. Over the Great Wall of China, a middle-aged Asian man tells his wife to find cover, then reveals himself to be J'onn J'onzz, who joins Wonder Woman in battling Darkseid's Parademons. In Metropolis, the battle royale between Superman and Darkseid has destroyed much of the Planet's building, while Luthor and Batman hold off Parademons. Suddenly, Metron appears to Luthor, who demands a solution. Metron offers him one, and they both disappear. Metron takes him to the Source Wall, beyond which contains the only thing that could stop Darkseid. Metron warns that only a "twelfth level intellect" could survive the journey through the wall, but Luthor only claims "then I'm overqualified". Luthor flies through an opening in the wall, sees a great light...and screams. On Earth, Darkseid appears to be winning, when Batman staggers him with a flying kick. Darkseid is astonished that a mere mortal would dare to strike him. He prepares to kill Batman, but Superman, who now has his second wind, knocks Darkseid through the wall. For the first time in their acquaintance, Darkseid is uncertain, maybe even a little afraid, as Superman approaches and says: And with that, Superman hurtles his entire body forward, and delivers a single, earth-shattering punch that sends Darkseid flying into the air and through several skyscrapers. With his speed, Superman is waiting for him at the other end, and knocks him to the ground. Darkseid decides he's wasted enough time in hand-to-hand combat, and traps Superman in a torture field called the Agony Matrix. While Superman lies helpless, Darkseid draws a knife with a Kryptonite blade, intending to cut Superman's heart out. Then Luthor appears, having returned from the dimension Metron transported him to. Luthor holds up the only thing in the universe Darkseid wants: the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid takes hold of it, and both he and Luthor disappear in a blaze of light. With Darkseid apparently gone, the invading forces from Apokolips retreat from Earth. The Justice League reminisce over what had happened, and if Darkseid and Luthor had died. J'onn J'onzz reminds that if they do come back, the League will be ready for them. Wonder Woman announces that its time for the villains to go back to jail. Atomic Skull objects, saying they helped the League save the world. Batman agrees to give them a five-minute head start. When the League makes it clear that concession is all they are offering, the Legion turns and runs. Finally, from the steps of the MetroTower and with the Justice League theme music playing, the entire expanded League sets off after the villains, as "the adventure continues..." Continuity * Darkseid's invasion of Earth in Destroyer marks the fourth world-wide alien invasion of the Earth in the DC Animated Universe. The prior instances consisted of Darkseid's initial invasion in the Legacy episodes of Superman; the Imperium Invasion depicted in the Secret Origins episodes; and the Thanagarian Invasion depicted in the Starcrossed episodes. * Both Darkseid and Superman recollect their last encounter in episode, "Twilight, Part II" (from their different perspectives). * According to Dwayne McDuffie, Darkseid and Luthor became part of the Source Wall, like everyone else who solved the Anti-Life Equation.DwayneMcDuffie.com Background Information Production Inconsistencies * Orion appears at the end of "Alive!" as one of the heroes confronting the Legion, but in the recap at the beginning of this episode, he has been removed from the picture, and is not to be seen at all in the story. When the scene is shown in the closing credits, he appears again in the group. * S.T.R.I.P.E. was in the lineup of heroes that rushed outside the Metro Tower in "Alive!", but in this episode he is teleported with Stargirl from a loft, though he could've gone to get her. * As she leaves the Metro Tower, instead of holding her Cosmic Power Staff, Stargirl is seen clearly holding one of the spears of the parademons. In fact, she is not seen holding her Staff at all, instead fighting hand-to-hand. *Two inconsistencies in the battle Shayera takes part in: 1) During the opening shot, it is night but when it cuts to Shayera, it is day, and 2) this battle takes place in Washington D.C. and yet from the Watchtower, the monitor displays New York. * Darkseid states that Batman is the first to dodge his Omega Beam. However, in an earlier episode "Twilight, Part II", Superman manages to avoid being hit by Darkseid's Omega Beam before engaging in the physical fight with Darkseid. Though the Omega Beams merely past Superman and didn't move around to follow him, so Darkseid probably wasn't trying to hit him as much as getting into the physical fight. Trivia * Lex Luthor's line "we found ourselves dependent on the kindness of strangers" echoes a famous quote from Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire. *The name of this episode "Destroyer" and the previous, "Alive!" are also the names of two best selling albums by the rock band KISS. * Darkseid's speech about what will happen before he finally ends Superman's life mirrors Superman's speech on "Twilight" about not stopping until Darkseid's a greasy smear on his fist. Both speeches end with "Let's Go". * Order of Battle: ** Metropolis: Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor vs. Darkseid ** Washington, D.C.: Shayera Hol, Commander Steel, and Atomic Skull ** Paris: Green Lantern, Flash, and Giganta ** Great Wall of China: Wonder Woman, Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Star Sapphire, joined later by J'onn J'onzz ** Rome: Doctor Light, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Bizarro ** Tokyo: Sinestro, Steel, and Blue Devil ** Unknown City: Hawk and Dove, The Creeper, The Question, and Captain Atom ** Unknown Mountainous Location: Zatanna and Volcana ** Cairo: Toyman ** Venice: Hawkman, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Killer Frost * Commander Steel saves Shayera by picking up a Parademon's shield and throwing it spinning through the air, in a nod to Marvel Comics' Captain America, whom he resembles. He saves Shayera after her wing is impaled by a Parademon's spear, resembling how the also-Marvel Angel had his wings orginally crippled. *Each major invasion of Earth that has taken place throughout the series has a similar goal of building a weapon that can destroy the planet. For example, Darkseid's goal of creating "Apocalypse on Earth" using drills refers back to the very first episode, "Secret Origins," where the Imperium's goal is creating darkness on Earth using drills of their own. Another reference is when the Thanagarians try to destroy the Earth by using a hyperspace bypass. Every attempt, of course, failed thanks to the Justice League. * Batman evades Darkseid's Omega Beams until they hit a Parademon, prompting him to state that no one had ever avoided the Omega Beams; ironically, in the Final Crisis story arc of the comics, Batman is seemingly killed by Darkseid's very Omega Beams. Also, minutes after, the Flashes (Barry Allen and Wally West) manage to outrun both the Omega Beams and the Black Racer by vibrating through Dan Turpin's body, thus making the beams hit him and expel Darkseid's essence from the body. *In the final scene, the Justice Leaguers run down the stairs of the Metro Tower in groups, which are nods to the DC Comics: Cast Uncredited Appearances Quotes Footnotes Category:Justice League Unlimited episodes